Design features: desirable, feasible, and viable

2023-10

Desirability, feasibility, and viability (DFV) are three key criteria that design thinkers use to evaluate and prioritize ideas. They are often represented as a Venn diagram, with the ideal solution falling within the overlapping area of all three.

Desirability refers to whether people want or need the product or service. Design thinkers typically conduct user research to understand people's needs, wants, and pain points. This information is then used to develop solutions that are desirable to users.

Feasibility refers to whether the product or service can be created with the available resources and technology. Design thinkers need to be realistic about the constraints of their team and organization. They also need to consider the technical challenges involved in developing and implementing their solution.

Viability refers to whether the product or service can be sustained over time. This includes factors such as profitability, scalability, and market acceptance. Design thinkers need to consider the business model for their solution and whether it is likely to be successful in the long term.

By evaluating ideas against the DFV criteria, design thinkers can increase the chances of success. They can also make better decisions about which ideas to pursue and which ones to abandon.

Here are some examples of how the DFV criteria can be applied to design thinking:

Desirability: A design team is developing a new smartphone app. They conduct user research to learn about the features and functionality that people want. They also consider the pain points that people experience with existing smartphone apps. Based on this research, the team designs an app that is desirable to users.
Feasibility: A design team is developing a new medical device. They need to consider the technical challenges involved in designing and manufacturing the device. They also need to make sure that the device is safe and effective. The team works with engineers and scientists to ensure that the device is feasible to develop.
Viability: A design team is developing a new business model for a social media platform. They need to consider the costs associated with running the platform. They also need to develop a revenue model that will allow the platform to be sustainable over time. The team conducts market research to determine if there is demand for the platform. They also develop a financial model to project the costs and revenue of the platform.

Reference

UX Design Institute. (2022). Desirability, feasibility and viability diagram: What does it mean? - UX Design Institute. [online] Available at: https://www.uxdesigninstitute.com/blog/desirability-viability-and-feasibility/ [Accessed 22 Oct. 2023].

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